Ruined By My Brother's Best Friend (by Silverwriter) novel Chapter 221

ARABELLA’S POV

I snapped my eyes open, my heart beating rapidly as his words tingled across my skin.

I hadn’t heard him correctly, right?

Surely, I couldn’t have. It had to have been a slip-up, and he didn’t actually mean it.

I finally turned to look at him, and every doubt in my mind seized, wafting away into the air.

56 vouchers

Alvise stood confidently, one hand slipped into his pocket and his face stoic, void of any emotion. His blue, piercing eyes unnerved me as he watched me without even the slightest hint of hesitation..

“What did you just say?” I dared to ask, my nails digging into my palm beneath the sheets.

Alvise walked closer, towering over me. “We leave tomorrow.”

I choked on air, trying to sit up, but pain exploded through my arm and I immediately leaned back against the headrest, my heart beating so fast I feared it was going to stop.

“Be careful. You’re hurt.”

I finally let my eyes travel to the wound on my arm and sucked in a sharp breath. A large, ugly bandage was wrapped around it, and the longer I stared at it, the more I wanted to cry, so I quickly looked away.

That would probably take some time before healing.

Thoughts of my arm only lasted in my mind for a second before Alvise’s words consumed my thoughts again.

“You’re not serious.” I said, avoiding eye contact.

He couldn’t be.

Alvise stroked his chin. “I don’t joke, Arabella. I think we’ve been through this several times already.”

I snapped my eyes to him and raised my brows. “So you’re serious? You want me to go to… Russia with you?”

How and why? I was sweating, my legs bouncing against each other beneath the sheets as I desperately tried to come to terms with it all.

I never thought he would ever want to take me anywhere near his home, but that wasn’t what bothered me the most.

What would I do in Russia? Why would I follow a man about to get married back to his home?

I didn’t wait for his reply before I shook my head. “I’m not going with you.”

“It wasn’t a request.”

109 Mon, Sep 14

Ruined By My Brother’s Best Friend

I scoffed, still in disbelief. “Why would I go to Russia?”

You want to be safe.” He said calmly. “London is no longer safe for you.”

“I don’t know anyone there.” I argued, looking at anything but him.

“You know me.”

Our eyes clashed, and I sucked in a breath at the intensity of his stare. “Do I really know you

50 vouche

Alvise tilted his head to the side, and the corner of his lips twitched. “You’re right. You don’t know me.

I looked away and sighed. Did he think I was joking? “I’m not going anywhere with you, Alvise.”

“You don’t exactly have a choice, but let me humour you.” He mused, “what are your reasons?”

I bit my lip, trying to hold back the words that threatened to escape from my mouth. But I couldn’t.

“You’re getting married.”

I closed my eyes, cringing at how broken I sounded when I said it. I just couldn’t pretend like it didn’t

affect me.

It was already hard enough to cope with the thought of it here, and now he wanted to take me to Russia so I could witness it myself? Definitely not.

And Tatiana… the same woman who had it out for me and did everything she could to ruin my life also lived in Russia. Why would I willingly go and put myself in her space again?

It wasn’t even something I was willing to consider. No matter what, it just wasn’t happening. There were more cons than pros, and I wasn’t going to let Alvise’s promise of safety convince me.

“Arabella?” Alvise called, interrupting my pondering session.

I raised a brow. “Yes?”

He poked his inner cheek with his tongue and glanced at his wristwatch. “Have your things packed before the end of today.”

And then he walked out of the room.

I sat frozen for several minutes, unable to move, until I finally had to sit up and look around the room, wondering if all of that had actually happened.

Alvise had made up his mind, and from the determination I’d seen in his eyes, it felt like he wasn’t going to listen to a single word I said.

I laughed in disbelief and rubbed my temples with my fingers. I would stand my ground. He could force me into another country if I refused to go, but I wasn’t going to willingly agree to it.

“What did he say?”

I looked up to see Sierra leaning against the doorway with her hands clamped together.

1

T09 Mon, Sep 14 D

Rumed By My Brother’s Best Friend

“I can’t believe you abandoned me.” I said, glaring at her.

Come on!” She approached the bed and bit her lip. “The look in Alvise’s eyes was so serious I had to leave.”

I wiped the tears off my face. “Did he hear everything?” I asked curiously.

“I think so. I didn’t even know he was at the door until I casually looked around the room.”

“And you didn’t alert me!” I complained. “How could you do that?”

Sierra’s eyes widened. “Come on, don’t be like that! I did try to give you a heads-up.”

“By clearing your throat?” I scoffed. “Seriously?”

We argued a little for some time before she brought up the uncomfortable topic I’d dreaded since the conversation began.

“I still can’t believe I saw Alvise shoot a gun.” She rasped. “An actual one!”

I wanted to tell her the truth badly, but I didn’t want to risk pissing off Alvise in the process.

Sierra seemed to already have an idea that he was not a regular man, but she just didn’t know how irregular he actually was.

“You don’t seem shocked.” She emphasized after some time. “Did you already know?”

I shook my head. “What? No! Of course not. I’m just still shocked from everything that’s been going on.”

Sierra searched my face suspiciously before nodding. “I agree, and I think it’s safe to say that you’ve considerably had it worse.”

Thoughts of Archie swarmed my mind, and a heavy knot formed in my stomach. I missed him every day, but I refused to call him. Though I suspected I’d probably be blocked, that wasn’t why I didn’t call.

I just felt it would be too selfish to try to reach out to him without letting him come around in his own time.

A knock sounded on the door, and Sierra and I shared a look.

“Did he say he was coming back?” She mouthed anxiously.

I shook my head but stood and walked to the door anyway. I pulled it open hesitantly and froze at the sight before me.

A lady stood holding two suitcases and smiling brightly at me. “Hi!”

I raised a brow but returned the smile. “Hi… do you need something?”

“Actually, I’m here to help.” She glanced at her wristwatch and sighed. “We don’t have much time.”

I blinked. “Much time for what?”

The lady walked past me into the room. “I’m here to help you pack for Russia.”

4

.

109 Mon, Sep 14